The Texel Sheep originates from the Island of
Texel, one of the North-Western Island off Holland where it has been since Roman
times. Throughout the centuries, selection, as ,well as an infusion of
British blood, principally from the Lincoln as well as a little from the Border
Leicester, Leicester, South Down, Hampshire Down and Wensleydale, has improved
its potential.

About 1933, the Texel was introduced to France
and has since become established, particularly in the Northern provinces. In
1970, the first Texels were introduced to the United Kingdom with an importation
organised by the Animal Breeding Research Organisation, who brought in four Rams
for experimental purposes. Another four followed in 1971 and ABRO initiated
extensive trials to compare the Texel with other terminal sires. The verdict was
that the Texel excelled in carcase quality and in particular, in lean meat
yield.

In 1973, thirteen Lanarkshire sheep breeders
joined forces with ABRO to import twenty-seven Texel females and thirteen Rams
from France. Further importations were made throughout them 1970's, with the
first direct import from Holland at the end of that decade.

The Texel has primarily been developed as a meat
breed but its native environment has has endowed it with invaluable commercial
traits. The Texel ewe is hardy and exceptionally thrifty and her lambs have a
tremendous get-up-and-go attitude, searching hard for milk as soon they are
born. Again, the breed's harsh native environment has led to th development of a
sheep that thrives on poor pasture and requires only modest amounts of feed in
the run-up to lambing and whilst suckling.

In Great Britain, the Texels have shown that they
are capable of with standing the rigours of the Scottish winter without
and hardship and their progeny have proved to be as adaptable in our climate and
altitude as the flocks in Holland and France.

The breed is well known in Europe and in the
continents of Africa and South America as a provider of a high quality carcase
which has a high killing out percentage. It is also well known in many countries
as a breed which transmits its qualities to its progeny when used for crossing
purposes.